A total of 445 heritage organisations will share £103 million to help restart vital reconstruction work and maintenance on heritage sites, keeping venues open and supporting those working in the sector.
 
Whitwell Station is to receive a grant of £49,000, which will be used to purchase tools for the workshop and a new system for scanning historical documents and allowing online access, and to help provide a safe play area for children.
 
The grant is from the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage and the Heritage Stimulus Fund, administered by Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
 
Both funds are part of the government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, which is designed to secure the future of the country’s museums, galleries, theatres, independent cinemas, heritage sites and music venues with emergency grants and loans.
 
Richard Bailey, a trustee of Whitwell & Reepham Railway Preservation Society, said: “This grant is essential to keeping historical items safe and ready for the future. It will also help attract more people to the station in these hard times.
 
“We have been open since venues were allowed to have customers back inside, and we have found a lot of support, both for what we have done and for what we have planned to do with this grant.”
 
Whitwell & Reepham Railway opened in 2009 as a heritage railway, nearly 50 years after it was closed to passengers.
 
The preservation society aims to continue restoring Whitwell Station to its former glory, re-laying track and sidings, acquiring rolling stock and adding more items to its museum.